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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25167331">The Right Moment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethanramsey/pseuds/ethanramsey'>ethanramsey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:35:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,153</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25167331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethanramsey/pseuds/ethanramsey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rafael and Casey both propose to each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rafael Aveiro/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Right Moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>based on <a href="https://oliveiraveiro.tumblr.com/post/622323343188738048/mc-muffled-into-rafaels-chest-lets-get">this quote</a> :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything is perfect.</p><p>It’s been almost six months since Casey and Rafael moved in to their apartment; almost two years since they’ve gotten back together. The two of them are happier than ever: everything is right into place.</p><p>Tonight, like every other night and every day, should’ve been perfect as well. But earlier today, Casey lost a patient.</p><p>She’s cuddled in Rafael’s arms in their shared bed, devastated, painful tears in her eyes. “Do you think it’s better that they didn’t get to marry before he died?”</p><p>Rafael takes a shaky breath, knowing either answer is bound to make her cry more. He continues rubbing her back gently, careful with his words. “There’s not really a better scenario in this situation.”</p><p>“You’re right—” Casey sobs again, holding onto him tighter.</p><p>Rafael frowns, wishing he could be more helpful. But what happened was a freak accident. Casey couldn’t have done anything and they both knew that, but it didn’t break her heart less. Telling the news to the fiancée is just another thing that will haunt her.</p><p>“Just let it out, meu amor. I’m here for you.” He holds her closer, hoping his embrace makes her feel protected like he intended.</p><p>Casey cries out the sadness and stress. It really helps, as well as the comfort from her loving partner.</p><p>But she thinks about how lucky she is that she’s here in his arms, in the apartment they call home. In an instant she’s also thinking about how one accident can happen and just like that it’s easy for them to lose everything. This perfect life, this happiness, and the thought makes her squeeze his shirt in her hand tighter, as if that can assure she’ll forever stay by his side and he won’t leave hers.</p><p>Casey buries her face into his chest, the life she very much wants to spend with him playing in her mind.</p><p>She knows they still have a lot to achieve, specifically in their careers. Especially Rafael, along with work, he started the path to becoming an occupational therapist. Since last year he’s in an associate degree program to be an occupational therapy assistant. It might not be the right time to settle down more officially yet.</p><p>But god, life is too short. They know that fact well enough in their field, and today’s events is a dreadful reminder. Casey is confident there’s no one else she’d want to spend the rest of her life with, and every day she does her best to make Rafael happy and make sure she’s the right person for him. What more did they need to prove?</p><p>Before she can think of more harrowing thoughts, she speaks into his chest, muffled. “Let’s get married.”</p><p>Rafael doesn’t even skip a beat, although his heart does, and he immediately responds. “What was that?”</p><p>Casey feels the blood drain from her face. He couldn’t have heard her; she spoke in a sigh.<em> No</em>. She slowly pulls away to look up at him. “What?”</p><p>“You said something.” His eyes are surprised, she notes, but it seems like the good kind because of the smile he’s failing to hide.</p><p>Still, Casey blushes in embarrassment. She didn’t even have a ring or anything special or commemorative. She just finished crying, looks like it, and she soaked his black T-shirt with tears. This wasn’t the proposal Rafael deserves.</p><p>Okay, play dumb. “I didn’t hear what you said.” she says simply, running a hand through his hair to distract him a little.</p><p>“No, <em>you </em>said—” Rafael furrows his eyebrows. Did he just hear what he wanted to hear? While on the topic of marriage, he couldn’t help but to think about theirs. He has been for a while, but struggled to figure out if now is the perfect time.</p><p>“You said something...” he says again, but now unsure and a little disappointed that maybe he just made it up. He looks into Casey’s eyes determinedly, trying to figure out if she’s just denying it.</p><p>Like he suspected, she couldn’t easily meet his eyes. “...No.” Her answer is almost a whisper.</p><p>He starts to gently pull away from their embrace, reaching for the drawer on his side of the bed.</p><p>Casey can only widen her eyes as it looked like he was leaving. Quick thoughts flash in her mind. Was it too much? They’re very happy and content, did she just ruin everything by asking a stupid question? Did he really hear her? Is it worse that she tried to deny saying so?</p><p>Before she can speak, or more accurately, stumble over her words, Rafael opens his drawer and pulls out a pair of socks. It was bundled, and Casey watches him undo it and start pulling out something from one of it.</p><p>It’s a black velvet ring box, but she’s watching him too intently that what is happening only registers when he finally opens the box and reveals the ring.</p><p>It’s a classic with a round cut diamond. She didn’t know the precise measure, not that it mattered, but she can’t help but notice it’s big. It’s lined with smaller diamonds, and overall sophisticated and gorgeous. Then it suddenly hits her: she’s already seen this ring.</p><p>She looks up at him with recognition in her eyes. It takes all of Casey’s self-control not to be screaming in excitement. “Is that...?”</p><p>Rafael smiles shyly, cheeks flushing. “Avó’s,” he agrees. He’s also about to admit he’s asked for it since their second month of living together, but that’s probably for a different conversation.</p><p>Casey’s eyes shine. She’s only seen it in pictures, but here it was before her, offered by the person she wanted to grow old with, much like Juliana. She already can’t wait to tell her she said yes and share a much deeper bond with the older woman who’s been a good family to her as much as she is to Rafael.</p><p>He visibly swallows, nervous despite his excitement and the elation in Casey’s eyes that he sees very clearly. For months he agonized thinking about when or how to ask her. Who knew this could be simple and that dressing up in something uncharacteristically fancy should’ve been the least of his worries?</p><p>True, this moment is not the flashiest. Or one of his plans, really. He knows she only deserves the best, but this is Casey, his Casey. The love of his life who’s always loved him just as he is, simple and genuine.</p><p>That said, he’s gonna push through with one of the many special dates he planned this weekend. She deserves a great night after the week she’s had so far. But this moment, it feels right.</p><p>It’s just like how her hands fit in his like his are made to hold hers. Like how their bodies mold into each other’s whenever they embrace. It’s perfect.</p><p>Rafael borrows Casey’s words with a playful smile. “Let’s get married?”</p>
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